Press

Jennifer Siebel Newsom wrote, directed, and produced the documentary, The Mask You Live In. The film explores our culture's definition of masculinity and how it is harming boys, men, and society at large. NBC15's Leigh Mills spoke with Newsom about the issue and how society can change its perception of masculinity.

Is America having a male identity crisis?

Mar 14, 2016

The idea that men are less emotionally adept than women is, says director Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a stereotype that is reinforced throughout men's lives (largely by mass culture), and to disastrous effect. Her latest documentary, The Mask You Live In, seeks to explain and provide solutions to what she calls America's "boy crisis."

Depression, violence, anxiety: the problem with the phrase ‘be a man’

Aug 14, 2016

The most dangerous phrase in the English language is “be a man”. To be a man today, says film-maker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is to fight for success and sex, to reject empathy, and to never, ever cry. The result is depression, anxiety and violence.

Super Bowl inspires fashion and political statements

Feb 8, 2016

"The Representation Project partnered with Futures Without Violence and Obscura Digital, which launched their #BeAModelMan campaign over the weekend by projecting messages like 'Domestic violence will not end until men stand up and put an end to it' on San Francisco landmarks."

Challenging Super Bowl fans to #BeAModelMan

Feb 7, 2016

"While revelers are celebrating the Super Bowl in San Francisco, two groups are aiming to capture those eyeballs to launch awareness of violence against women and children while promoting healthy definitions of masculinity. The hashtag #BeAModelMan is showing up in messages projected onto the façades of buildings all over the city, along with positive messages about masculinity, by Futures Without Violence and The Representation Project."

Watch: Brands are challenging the worst parts of masculinity, just in time for the Super Bowl

Feb 3, 2016

"Jennifer Siebel Newsom, founder of the nonprofit The Representation Project, tells Quartz that shifts in advertising can correspond, and even encourage, important shifts in cultural attitudes. 'Depictions of healthy masculinity and men being their whole, authentic selves are critical for modeling an alternative for consumers, particularly boys and young men,' Newsom says."

The violence behind the words "Be a Man"

Why we need every man to #BeAModelMan

Jan 28, 2016

"What if Super Bowl 50 featured football players — heroes to millions of Americans — encouraging boys and men to embrace healthier masculine traits, like courage, compassion and sensitivity? What if Super Bowl advertisers decided to forgo the sexist beer ads and amped-up car commercials? What if dads took the time to teach their sons about respect for women and girls, and spoke out against violence in all of its forms? What would it mean to 'be a man' in that world?"

"What Did It Mean To Be A Man In 2015?" by The Representation Project will change the way you look at masculinity — VIDEO

This video will tell you everything you need to know about the guys you date

Dec 10, 2015

"A new video from The Representation Project about what it means to be a man in 2015 offers a bleak look at what masculinity meant this year. Watching clips of men fighting, being super buff yet shy in underwear ('sup Biebs), and squeezing produce that's supposed to be a nude woman's butt strung together in a two minute video provides a completely different look at what the men in our lives are up against."

This is what it meant to 'Be a Man' in 2015

Dec 10, 2015

"A video published on Thursday by The Representation Project reveals the good, the bad and the ugly of the messaging men receive about what it means to be a guy in 2015. The video is the fourth annual installment of end -of-year roundups from The Representation Project, each of which highlights the damaging impact of gender roles."

A film explores what it means to be a man

Nov 3, 2015

"The concept of masculinity embedded in the American psyche is not necessarily a pretty one — it is often equated with stoicism, dominance, violence, and emotional repression. That view is communicated to boys and men in films, on television, through sports, and in video games, says filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom."

Is 'man up' the most destructive phrase in modern culture?

Jul 13, 2015

"Seemingly innocuous words like 'man up' don't just affect us personally and emotionally, they also blur our understanding of masculinity and manhood as concepts. That's the argument Jennifer Siebel Newsom makes in her new film The Mask You Live In, which has won a series of accolades on this year's international film circuit. "

New documentary explores the pressure for boys to act like men

Why we should ban the phrase "man up"

May 22, 2015

"From childhood, men are bombarded with messages about masculinity that aren’t just limiting but handicapping, says filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom. . .She’s the force behind the documentary Miss Representation and the #AskHerMore campaign."

Sundance: ‘The Mask You Live In’ examines America’s ‘boy crisis’

Jan 23, 2015

"There's a "boy crisis" gripping America, argues the provocative new documentary "The Mask You Live In." Society's narrow definition of what it means to be a man is having a host of unintended consequences, ranging from substance abuse to violence to rape."

Sundance fest reveals documentary, drama premieres

Dec 8, 2014

“Notable documentaries premiering at the festival include. . .Jennifer Siebel Newsom, whose first documentary screened at the festival in 2011, returns with an exploration of masculinity in The Mask You Live In.”

Is the 'be a man' stereotype hurting boys?

Oct 31, 2014

“The Mask You Live In, to be released in 2015, is a film about the impact that our ‘narrow definition’ of masculinity is having on boys, men and society in general. The experts interviewed for the film say ‘that boys have been socialized in such a way that they’re not supposed to experience pain or suffering and that they’re expected to be dominant, stoic and in control at all times,’ said Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film’s writer, producer and director.”

Depression in men is a public health crisis

Sep 3, 2014

“Male depression gets inadequate attention, in part because our culture stigmatizes emotion in males, from toddlerhood on. Studies show that at birth, boys are just as sensitive as girls, but from their earliest days they are told, ‘Boys don’t cry.’”

Redefining fatherhood: What it means to 'be a man’ today

Jun 10, 2014

“What does it mean to be a good dad? Once it might have meant providing for and protecting your family. For a new generation of American fathers, however, the definition of what it means to be a good dad increasingly also includes washing the dishes, making dinner or taking the kids to school.”